Ah, Pokemon. It seems to have taken over the world. You cant go anywhere without seeing something related to it, the trading cards, the movies, TV shows and plushies of that ever annoying Pokemon Pikachu. With the craze that has swallowed the world the public eye perceives Pokemon as childish and simple. While some of the merchandise do little to dispel that viewpoint it is the games that started off Pokemon and it is because of these that the mania started off. So they must have been doing something right.

Proof that it is still as engaging as ever is the fact that Pokemon fever is still strong. The latest games have topped games charts in Japan, USA and Europe and massively boosting the GBA hardware. People are still hungry for Pokemon. The games charm, it seems, is not lost which is certainly something as really very little has changed from its first incarnation. From the first game, the Japan-only Pokemon Green, to its first cousins, Red, Blue and Yellow (which just had Pikachu following you around) there was little difference between them. The second generation, Gold, Silver and Crystal were basically the same game too with little additions such as breeding being added to the game. However the main concept remained the same, defeat Trainers and catch the Pokemon. Yet seven games of basically the same thing continue to sell like the proverbial hotcakes. While some may cast a cynical eye over Nintendo for being exploitive, with little evolution for the games, a simpler reason for their similarity is that they are great games anyway so who needs too much change, people seem more than happy to buy into them.

For the most part of the game you be encountering battles. Whether this is with wild Pokemon, Trainers or Gym Leaders. This is where the belief that Pokemon is simple goes out the window. There are 17 elemental types of Pokemon. There are simple bug types, flying, ghost, fire, water and dragons to name a few. To stand a chance in later levels of Pokemon battles you must at least have half an understanding about the different types of Pokemon and what moves are effective against certain opponents. For example using a Water-type attack on a fire type will cause some of them to become immobile because the magma will cool and then solidify, trapping the Pokemon. Also you will learn not to get too close to Electric-type Pokemon as they can cause paralysis so its best to use long-range attacks. While the element system is sometimes confusing it is with trial and error and common sense that will soon see you identify which moves work best in each situation.

Of course Pokemon games are really about the Pokemon themselves. There are just over 100 new ones to catch in these games. Some are, it has to be said, better than others but it’s a small price to pay with the games being so long going. With only six Pokemon per team the rest are stored on PC but its hard to say goodbye to the ones that are of no use because some are very cute indeed. You catch new Pokemon either in the wild or sometimes being given them. To catch them all you need a friend and a GBA link cable and a copy of the opposite game you have because some Pokemon are exclusive to either Ruby or Sapphire doing this and trading Pokemon will also let certain Pokemon evolve when they normally wouldn’t. Linking up and battling has always been a key element in the Pokemon games and it is no different here. Battling against friends really adds something to the game as you will actually be facing a human opponent and if you’re betting money on it then its all the more intense.

There is little wrong in the two new Pokemon games. The lack of change, especially it being on a new console, may not please some. It is, as ever, the same game with a few added and welcome additions yet for people looking for a totally new experience then you shouldn’t look here. That said it is still as engaging and fun as ever. One odd and slightly annoying aspect of the game is that there are only around 200 Pokemon to catch. Yet in game there are blank spaces in your Pokedex for plenty more (a total of 386 Pokemon spread through the games). Nintendo have been coy as how we are supposed to get these new types of Pokemon. They may be bundled onto GameCube discs and able to be downloaded via the GameCube/GBA Link Cable (which will aid interest in the Connectivity thing they have going) and also bundled E-reader cards possibly in magazines so we can scan them in (after being reportedly canned for Europe, Nintendo do indeed confirm the E-reader is heading over here). While this will surely lengthen the game and maintain interest it seems a shame that we don’t get the full amount straight off.